A new generation of optoelectronic devices such as organic thin film transistors (OTFTs), organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), printable circuits, organic photovoltaic devices, capacitors and sensors are built upon organic semiconductors as their active components. To achieve high speed performance and efficient operation, it is desirable that both the p-type and n-type semiconductor materials in these organic semiconductor-based devices exhibit high charge carrier mobility (μ) and stability under ambient conditions, and can be processed in a cost-effective manner.
Several p- and n-channel molecular semiconductors have achieved acceptable device performance and stability. For example, OTFTs based on certain acenes, oligothiophenes (p-channel) and perylenes (n-channel) can exhibit carrier mobilities (μ's) greater than about 0.5 cm2/Vs under ambient conditions. However, molecular semiconductors tend to have less desirable solution film processing properties than polymeric semiconductors. In addition, while high-performance p-channel polymers with μ's greater than about 0.1 cm2/Vs have been reported, n-channel polymers for OTFTs to date either suffer from poor processability and/or negligible electron mobilities under ambient conditions.
Accordingly, the art desires new polymeric semiconductors, particularly n-type polymeric semiconductors, that have good stability, processing properties, and/or charge transport characteristics under ambient conditions.